Why the Lord Will Help Israel
Moses said:
1 Israel, listen to me! You will soon cross the Jordan River and go into the land to force out the nations that live there. They are more powerful than you are, and the walls around their cities reach to the sky. 2 Some of these nations are descendants of the Anakim. You know how tall and strong they are, and you've heard that no one can defeat them in battle. 3 But the Lord your God has promised to go ahead of you, like a raging fire burning everything in its path. So when you attack your enemies, it will be easy for you to destroy them and take their land.
4-6 After the Lord helps you wipe out these nations and conquer their land, don't think he did it because you are such good people. You aren't good—you are stubborn! No, the Lord is going to help you, because the nations that live there are evil, and because he wants to keep the promise he made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When Israel Made an Idol
(Exodus 32)Moses said to Israel:
7 Don't ever forget how you kept rebelling and making the Lord angry the whole time you were in the desert. You rebelled from the day you left Egypt until the day you arrived here.
8 At Mount Sinai you made the Lord so angry that he was going to destroy you. 9-11 It happened during those 40 days and nights that I was on the mountain, without anything to eat or drink. He had told me to come up there so he could give me the agreement he made with us. And this agreement was actually the same Ten Commandments he had announced to you when he spoke from the fire on the mountain. The Lord had written them on two flat stones with his own hand. But after giving me the two stones, 12 he said:
Moses, hurry down the mountain to those people you led out of Egypt. They have already disobeyed me and committed the terrible sin of making an idol.
13 I've been watching the Israelites, and I've seen how stubborn and rebellious they are. 14 So don't try to stop me! I am going to wipe them out, and no one on earth will remember they ever lived. Then I will let your descendants become an even bigger and more powerful nation than Israel.
Moses said:
15 Fire was raging on the mountaintop as I went back down, carrying the two stones with the commandments on them. 16 I saw how quickly you had sinned and disobeyed the Lord your God. There you were, worshiping the metal idol you had made in the shape of a calf. 17 So I threw down the two stones and smashed them before your very eyes.
18-20 I bowed down at the place of worship and prayed to the Lord, without eating or drinking for 40 days and nights. You had committed a terrible sin by making that idol, and the Lord hated what you had done. He was angry enough to destroy all of you and Aaron as well. So I prayed for you and Aaron as I had done before, and this time the Lord answered my prayers.
21 It was a sin for you to make that idol, so I threw it into the fire to melt it down. Then I took the lump of gold, ground it into powder, and threw the powder into the stream flowing down the mountain.
22 You also made the Lord angry when you were staying at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-Hattaavah. 23 Then at Kadesh-Barnea the Lord said, “I am giving you the land, so go ahead and take it!” But since you didn't trust the Lord, you rebelled and disobeyed his command. 24 In fact, you've rebelled against the Lord for as long as he has known you.
25 After you had made the idol in the shape of a calf, the Lord said he was going to destroy you. So I lay face down in front of the Lord for 40 days and nights 26 and prayed:
Our Lord, please don't wipe out your people. You used your great power to rescue them from Egypt and to make them your very own. 27 Israel's ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob obeyed you faithfully. Think about them, and not about Israel's stubbornness, evil, and sin. 28 If you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, “The Lord promised to give Israel land, but he wasn't powerful enough to keep his promise. In fact, he hated them so much that he took them into the desert and killed them.” 29 But you, our Lord, chose the people of Israel to be your own, and with your mighty power you rescued them from Egypt.
Ne Israēla taisnības dēļ
(2Moz 32:1–35)1 Klausies, Israēl, šodien tu ej pār Jardānu, lai ietu un padzītu tautas, kas lielākas un stiprākas par tevi, – tām ir lielas un līdz debesīm nocietinātas pilsētas! 2 Tā ir liela un stalta tauta, Anāka dēli, ko tu pazīsti, par kuriem tu esi dzirdējis sakām: kas gan var stāties pretī Anāka dēliem?! 3 Un zini šodien, ka Kungs, tavs Dievs, – viņš ir tas, kas ies tev pa priekšu kā rijīga uguns, viņš tos iznīcinās un pakļaus tev, un jūs viņus jo ātri padzīsiet un izdeldēsiet, kā Kungs tev ir solījis! 4 Kad Kungs, tavs Dievs, padzīs tos tavā priekšā, tad nesaki savā sirdī: manas taisnības dēļ Kungs mani veda iemantot šo zemi! – Kungs padzina tos tavā priekšā tādēļ, ka šī tauta bija ļauna! 5 Ne tavas taisnības dēļ un ne tavas sirds taisnības dēļ tu ej iemantot viņu zemi, bet šo tautu ļaunuma dēļ Kungs, tavs Dievs, padzen tos tavā priekšā – tādēļ, lai piepildītu to, ko Kungs zvērējis taviem tēviem Ābrahāmam, Īzakam un Jēkabam. 6 Un zini, ka ne tavas taisnības dēļ Kungs, tavs Dievs, ļauj tev iemantot šo labo zemi – jo tu esi stūrgalvīga tauta!
7 Atceries – neaizmirsti, kā tu tuksnesī kaitināji Kungu, savu Dievu, – kopš dienas, kad iznāci no Ēģiptes zemes, līdz atnāci šurp, jūs visu laiku dumpojāties pret Kungu! 8 Un Horebā tu sadusmoji Kungu, un Kungs noskaitās un gribēja jūs iznīcināt. 9 Kad es uzkāpu kalnā, lai saņemtu akmens plāksnes – derības plāksnes, ko Kungs ar jums bija noslēdzis, es paliku kalnā četrdesmit dienas un četrdesmit naktis, maizi es neēdu un ūdeni nedzēru. 10 Un Kungs man iedeva divas akmens plāksnes, kas bija aprakstītas ar Dieva pirkstu, un uz tām bija visi vārdi, ko Kungs jums bija sacījis kalnā no uguns vidus todien, kad tika sasaukta sapulce. 11 Kad četrdesmit dienas un četrdesmit naktis bija pagājušas, Kungs man deva divas akmens plāksnes, derības plāksnes. 12 Kungs man teica: celies, kāp ātri lejā no šejienes, jo tava tauta, ko tu izvedi no Ēģiptes, ir apgānījusies – ātri gan tie novērsušies no ceļa, ko es tiem pavēlēju, un uztaisījuši sev izlietu tēlu! 13 Un Kungs man teica: es uzlūkoju šo tautu, un redzi – tā ir stūrgalvīga tauta! 14 Atstājies no manis – es iznīcināšu viņus, izdzēsīšu to vārdus zem debesīm, bet tevi es darīšu par lielāku un stiprāku tautu nekā viņi! 15 Tad es gāju un nokāpu no kalna – kalns dega ugunī, un man rokā bija abas derības plāksnes. 16 Es paraudzījos, un redzi – jūs bijāt grēkojuši pret Kungu, savu Dievu, uztaisījuši izlietu teļu, ātri vien novērsušies no tā ceļa, ko Kungs jums bija pavēlējis! 17 Es satvēru abas plāksnes, nosviedu tās un sadauzīju jūsu acu priekšā! 18 Un es gulēju, nokritis Kunga priekšā kā iepriekš – četrdesmit dienas un četrdesmit naktis, maizi es neēdu un ūdeni nedzēru visu jūsu grēku dēļ, ko jūs bijāt grēkojuši, darīdami, kas netīk Kungam, un viņu kaitinājuši, 19 jo es bijos no dusmām un niknuma, ko Kungs dusmoja pret jums, gribēdams jūs iznīcināt, – tomēr Kungs man paklausīja arī toreiz! 20 Kungs bija sadusmojies uz Āronu un gribēja viņu iznīcināt, un tolaik es lūdzos arī par Āronu. 21 Bet jūsu grēku – teļu, ko jūs bijāt darinājuši, es ņēmu un sadedzināju ugunī un saberzu labi smalki, līdz tas bija tik smalks kā putekļi. Putekļus es izkaisīju upē, kas tecēja no kalna!
22 Un jūs sadusmojāt Kungu Tabērā, Masā un Kibrot-Taavā. 23 Kad Kādēš-Barnēā Kungs jūs sūtīja, sacīdams: celies un iemanto zemi, ko es jums esmu devis! – tad jūs dumpojāt pret Kungu, savu Dievu, neticējāt un neklausījāt viņam! 24 Jūs esat bijuši dumpīgi pret Kungu kopš tās dienas, kad es jūs iepazinu!
25 Es gulēju nokritis Kunga priekšā – četrdesmit dienas un četrdesmit naktis, jo Kungs bija teicis, ka jūs iznīcinās. 26 Un es lūdzos Kungu un teicu: Kungs Dievs! Neiznīdē savu tautu un mantojumu, ko tu esi izpircis savā diženumā, ko tu esi izvedis no Ēģiptes ar stipru roku! 27 Atceries savus kalpus Ābrahāmu, Īzaku un Jēkabu – nepievērsies šīs tautas stūrgalvībai, ļaunumam un grēkam –, 28 lai tajā zemē, no kuras tu mūs izvedi, neteiktu: tādēļ ka Kungs nevarēja aizvest viņus uz to zemi, ko bija viņiem solījis, un tādēļ ka viņš tos ienīda – viņš tos aizveda nonāvēt tuksnesī! 29 Viņi ir tava tauta un tavs mantojums, ko tu esi izvedis ar lielu spēku un ar izstieptu elkoni!
